The 100% Islay 11th Edition was distilled from our 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 barley harvests before being matured for a minimum of 9 years in 26 bourbon barrels and 7 oloroso sherry butts. The combination of lightly peated barley matured in both bourbon and sherry casks creates an intense combination of floral sweetness, layers of rich fruity character and soft maritime peat smoke.
From our inception, the 100% Islay range, Scotland’s only Single Farm Single Malt, was our reason for being. It represents the rebirth of farm distilling, where the responsibility for growing and malting barley, the foundation of single malt, is not outsourced but completed on site with skill, care and attention to detail. An unbroken chain of creation from barley field to bottle, each stage all done right here at Kilchoman.
Having tasted some excellent older sherry butts we quickly decided that they were at their peek, we then tried a few bourbon barrels of a similar age and the backbone of this edition came together very easily. Our bourbon barrels and oloroso butts are incredibly consistent and this combination of roughly 40% sherry butts and 60% bourbon barrels works phenomenally with the style of whisky we produce. It allows both the citrus sweetness of our spirit and the rich fruity flavours of the casks to balance perfectly,”
Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director.
Limited to 12,000 bottles, the 11th Edition 100% Islay will be available worldwide from the 15th of September. Bottled at 50% abv with no chill-filtration or colouring.
For more information email info@kilchomandistillery.com
Join our ‘Kilchoman Comraich Live Tasting’ on 21st October at 7pm.
This live tasting gives you the unique opportunity to sample all 4 limited-edition ‘Kilchoman Comraich Batches’ from the comfort of your own home, something usually only possible in our official Comraich bars.
What is Kilchoman Comraich? Kilchoman Comraich is a global network of bars dedicated to the enjoyment of Kilchoman single malt. There you will find the finest and widest range of Kilchoman single malts, including the exclusive Comraich bottlings.
The story behind ‘Comraich’ The ruined Kilchoman Church stands proudly beneath the cliffs of Creag Mhór, half a mile west of the distillery. Chief amongst its artefacts are Sanctuary stones dating back to the 800s. Such sanctuary stones were commonplace in medieval times, marking an area of ‘Comraich’ or sanctuary in the local Gaelic language, safe from harassment and arrest.
Kilchoman Comraichs are a collection of sanctuaries, sheltered from the commotion of the outside world, dedicated to the enjoyment of Kilchoman Single Malt. Kilchoman Comraich establishments serve as bastions of Kilchoman with exclusive access to the Kilchoman Comraich batches. These are available exclusively from Comraich bars along with a wide range of other Kilchoman releases.
Comraich Batch 1 is a vatting of Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels. The combination of cask types allows for a unique marriage of rich, sherry influence and light citrus and vanilla character from the bourbon barrels.
Cask Numbers – 146/2007, 265/2007 Bourbon and 419/2007 Sherry
Cask Type – 2 Bourbon Barrels and 1 Sherry Butt
ABV – 55.5%
Bottled – 14.10.2017
Comraich Batch 2 is a vatting of three fresh bourbon barrels all filled on 21st of April 2011. These casks have been maturing side by side in the Kilchoman warehouse for almost 8 years, allowing the bourbon soaked oak to interact with the whisky, imparting unique flavours into each individual cask.
Cask Numbers – 206, 207 and 208/2011
Cask Types – 3 fresh bourbon
ABV – 55.3%
Bottled – 11.3.2019
Comraich Batch 3 is 100% Islay. Peated to a lighter level of 20ppm, these 100% Islay casks are bottled at cask strength with the ex-bourbon and sherry combining to create rich caramel, spicy chocolate, fresh fruits and peat smoke.
Cask Numbers – 08/524 and 08/528, 10/275
Cask Types – 2 Fresh Bourbons and 1 Oloroso Sherry butt
ABV – 55.7%
Bottled – 10.10.2019
Comraich Batch 4 is a vatting of three bourbon barrels, all over nine years of age. These casks are bottled at their natural cask strength, bringing through underlying sweetness and integrated citrus notes on the nose and a wonderfully balanced palate, the cask influence really coming to the fore. Long and sweet on the finish, this whisky also carries hints of smoke and maritime character lingering on into the evening.
Cask numbers – 205, 467 & 775/2011
Cask Type – Bourbon Barrel
ABV – 55%
Bottled – 08.02.2021
A limited number of Tasting Packs will be released via our website from Wednesday 15th of September at 2pm Islay time.
The Live Tasting will be broadcast on our Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.
This year we grew around 112 acres of barley. We had most of the fields ploughed by the end of March but the Smiddy Field was in tatters as Donnie was busy repairing drains which ended up being a bigger job than we thought. The bulk of our crop was sown between the 16th and the 19th April but due to the drainage work we hadn’t even ploughed the Smiddy Field. We eventually got the plough in the ground on the 27th April and the barley was sown on 1st May which was about 12 days behind the rest of the crop, so we were hoping that this would catch up over the summer. It always feels good to get the barley in the ground and then it’s about hoping that the weather will be kind.
Our main crop this year was 95 acres of Concerto, but we also sowed 17 acres of Sassy. Concerto has been our main stay variety for a number of years and usually provides us with a good crop of barley and distils a very good quality spirit. We have also grown sassy in previous years and we were pleased with the yield and most importantly, the characteristics of the spirit. As we have mentioned before, concerto is coming to the end of its commercial life and a replacement variety is needed and after experimenting with a few varieties over the years, sassy is looking like the favourite to take over from concerto.
The summer was one of the driest we have had for a long time so the barley would begin to show signs of stress but it seemed like the rain always came in the nick of time and the barley would freshen up. Temperatures over the summer were consistently high and with the amount of dry weather we were worried that the grain would be smaller than usual as it needs moisture to bulk up. This was the case in some of our fields where the soil is lighter and sandier, for example Rugby Park, but in the fields with a heavier soil such as House Field and Minister’s Field, the barley seemed to thrive. Smaller grains are lighter and the costs for growing and harvesting remain the same and we have less tonnes per acre. From a distillery point of view this means we have less of our own barley to malt and smaller grain means there is not so much starch available to convert and the mill needs tweaked to get the correct % of flour, grist etc but in general less starch = less sugar = less alcohol.
This year has been very busy at the distillery and before we knew where we were harvest time was upon us. The week before our barley was ready, the weather on Islay was truly glorious, which usually means it’s about to break and we would be left trying to dodge the wet days to get the barley combined. However, something was working in our favour and even when we took the combine out the shed the good weather stayed and the barley in the Smiddy Field was ready with the rest of the crop. We started combining on 30th August and finished on 4th September. We had some amazing weather, and as you’ll see in some of the clips and pictures, the sun shone from beginning to end – the best harvest weather we can remember!! As for the crop, our best field of barley was in the Smiddy Field so we’ll continue our drainage programme. Overall we are very happy with our yields and we will be looking at the differences between the Concerto and Sassy varieties when we start to run them through the production cycle.
Maybe in the future you’ll be having a dram from your bottle of 100% Islay and you’ll notice the barley is from 2021, remember that was the year when the sun shone and the weather was wonderful…….. This summer will be one that is long talked about on Islay.
From Monday 23rd August, we will be resuming ‘Classic Tours’ of the distillery where you will be guided through the production process to gain an insight into the day-to-day running of our distillery. These tours will be available from Tuesday to Saturday every week at 10am and 3pm.
In addition, we are delighted to also be offering a very special tutored ‘Warehouse Tasting’ in one of our dunnage warehouses. You will be guided through four exclusive cask strength drams from our experimental cask types which have been pre-selected by Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and MD.
Spaces for tours and tastings are limited so advance booking is advised and can now be made online via our website. A selection of our whiskies are available from the bar in the Visitor Centre and no advance booking is needed to enjoy a few drams.
From Sunday 29th August, the Visitor Centre and Café will be closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, please contact tours@kilchomandistillery.com
We look forward to welcoming you back for a dram or a tour soon.
On Islay peat cutting normally runs from around mid-April through to July. Traditionally, cutting peat was a family affair and many Islay folk have memories of helping their parents in their younger days, it was a skilled art that was passed on from generation to generation and an important annual tradition that you needed to learn to survive the cold winters.
“Learning to cut peat was not a choice it was a necessity. If you wanted a warm hearth and a fire in the winter, you had to go out in the spring and summer to the peat moss and take your peat home to burn in the winter. You learn to cut peat by repetition and determination, and the occasional wet peat thrown at the back of your head for encouragement! You realise that what you do in the summer provides your only heat and warmth in the winter,” Islay Heads, General Manager.
For centuries peat was the primary source of heat, so families relied on getting enough peat cut in the spring/summer to see them through the cold winter months. Islay often experiences winds in excess of 80mph, as a result trees are few and far between meaning Islanders turned to peat as a fuel. As the island modernised, cutting peat for domestic use became less common, however for some of Islay’s more traditional distilleries, like here at Kilchoman, peat remains crucial to creating the distinct smoky character in our whiskies.
Generations of Islay distilleries past and present have used and continue to use Islay peat, which is burned beneath the malt, infusing the malt with Islay peat smoke, creating arguably the most distinctive and iconic style of Scotch whisky.
When we asked Derek why he decided to take on a peat bank and what he enjoys about cutting peat in the traditional way this is what he had to say,
“With so much historic evidence of peat cutting here on Islay, I was always interested in why and how generations before me harvested the peat. So when the opportunity to renew and cut a bank presented itself, I jumped at the chance. It’s not the primary heat source in my home, but it does supplement my fuel supply, and it’s great to be part of a small community that continues the traditional peat cutting technique, which is rarely seen on Islay today.”
“Peat cutting is a very physical activity, and I enjoy the hard toil to produce a fuel that can heat the home. Gathering firewood from fallen trees gives you a similar feeling of satisfaction. But being out in the open moss and the fresh air, allows you to appreciate the nature and wildlife here on Islay. I can watch the Osprey fish in the Loch, and listen to the Curlew, the Skylark and the Cuckoo. The solitude is special, but it can be a sociable experience too, with people stopping to say hello, and show an interest.”
One question which we often get asked is whether there is a difference between peat cut from different parts of Islay and if this impacts on the characteristics of the whisky. There is no evidence to suggest that there are significant differences in the peat from different parts of Islay but there have been various studies over the years which highlighted differences between peat cut from separate regions across Scotland. For example, Highland peat has been found to give earthier flavours and characteristics to the whisky due to the presence of more woody plants, peat from Orkney tends to have a more floral character from the heather and Islay peat gets its famous phenol heavy maritime smoky character from the high proportions of sphagnum mosses in our peat. Islay’s coastal location and weather means it is often more exposed to the elements than some parts of mainland Scotland. The climate, ocean, wind, and rain all influence the island’s landscape and peat makeup. Islay whiskies are often described as having a maritime salty peat smoke characteristic and it is not difficult to understand why with the strong Atlantic winds blowing sea spray inland over the peat mosses.
Click here to be first to hear about new releases and to have access to the exclusive Kilchoman Club Release!
Award season in the whisky industry is underway and we are delighted to be receiving numerous medals and high scores for our core range whiskies. As previously announced, Machir Bay, Sanaig, Loch Gorm and 100% Islay have all been presented with awards in recent competitions. We can now add yet more awards to the list of accolades!
In the Ultimate Spirits Challenge Machir Bay was a ‘finalist’ and awarded the ‘tried & true’ award with 95 points and Sanaig 91 points, while in the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) Sanaig came out on top with a gold medal at 95 points and Machir Bay 93 points. It seems it’s not just us at Kilchoman who think we make award-winning whisky!
As well as the core range whiskies, Machir Bay Cask Strength has also been wowing the judges. We are delighted to announce it has been named ‘Best Islay Single Malt’ in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2021 with an outstanding score of 99 points. It was also awarded gold with 97 points in the IWSC 2021.
Machir Bay Cask Strength was a limited-edition release for the 2020 festive season, even the sheep on the label had their Santa hats on! Before reducing a batch of our Machir Bay to its regular bottling strength of 46%, this release was bottled at cask strength of 58.6% to appreciate the full power and character of our core range whisky. Due to the popularity and success of this release we will be bringing out another limited batch of Cask Strength Machir Bay towards the end of this year.
For more information about our core range whiskies click here.
It seems it’s not just us at Kilchoman who think we make award-winning whisky! We are pleased to announce that our core range whiskies have been awarded more gold and silver awards this year.
Machir Bay and Loch Gorm were both presented with gold medals in The Scotch Masters 2021 competition. The Spirits Business magazine comments that the competition was more than double in size from 2020 and very competitive, so we are delighted to have received two gold awards. As well as these golds, Sanaig was also awarded Silver in the same competition.
Machir Bay is part of our core range and available throughout the world. Named after the stunning beach next to the distillery, Machir Bay is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in approximately 90% bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry. The high proportion of bourbon barrels create a distinct balance of classic Islay character and fresh floral complexity.
Loch Gorm is our only annual limited edition matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks and is a hugely popular release with Kilchoman drinkers around the world. Named after Islay’s largest freshwater lake neighbouring the distillery, the dark murky colour of the loch’s water is reflected in the rich coppery tones of our sherry matured Loch Gorm.
“The Oloroso sherry maturation of Loch Gorm gives it a beautiful balance of big rich sherry flavours which pair very nicely with the peat smoke, soft fruits and typical sweetness of Kilchoman,”- Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
A few days later we received more good news and more awards! In the International Spirits Challenge 2021 it was Sanaig that received a gold award. Machir Bay and 100% Islay were also awarded silver.
Named after an inlet on Islay’s rugged Atlantic cost, Sanaig is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels. This sherry cask scotch whisky is matured in a high proportion of oloroso barrels, imparting a balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke into the spirit.
“It is fantastic to get international recognition for all 4 of our core range whiskies. A lot of hard work goes in to creating these unique single malts and the team are always proud when they receive awards. We are looking forward to once again visiting markets around the world a sharing these drams soon!” Anthony Wills, Founder and MD
Have you tried our award-winning whisky yet? For more information click here.
Though we’re sad you can’t be on Islay in person, we’re going to do our best to show you every inch of Kilchoman with our 360° FÈIS ÌLE!
The 360° experience will let you explore every nook and cranny of the distillery and our unique whisky-making process. Scroll up, down, left, and right on the screen as you are guided from the barley field to bottling hall by the team. You will be taken across the farm, into the malt floor, delving deep into the stillhouse, and through casks in the warehouse, almost like you’re there yourself (but not quite)! We will be doing everything we can to bring Kilchoman and our team to you, so sit back, pour yourself a dram and enjoy the day.
Full schedule (Islay Time), available via Kilchoman Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
12 Noon – Kilchoman ‘DNA’ Live Tasting – Join us for some drams as we kick off our Fèis day celebrations with a few cask strength core range and 2021 limited editions.
13.00 – On the Farm – Explore the farm with Islay Heads, general manager here at Kilchoman, as he takes you through our different fields, barley varieties, sheep and cattle.
[Followed by live Q&A with Islay – approx. 13.30]
14.00 – Malting and Peating – Derek Scott, our expert maltman, will teach you everything you need to know about our traditional floor maltings, the equipment we use and how to get the perfect germination.
[Followed by live Q&A with Derek – approx. 14.30]
15.00 – In the Stillhouse – As production manager, Robin Bignal is the perfect person to guide you through the stillhouse from milling and mashing to fermentation and distillation. You will be able to get access behind-the-scenes to the inner workings at the heart of Kilchoman.
[Followed by live Q&A with Robin – approx. 15.30]
16.00 – Maturing in the Warehouse – Managing director, Anthony Wills, will give you his founders take on cask maturation, discover how he created our unique Kilchoman range of whiskies and what experimental casks may be lurking in the dark corners of the warehouse.
[Followed by live Q&A with Anthony – approx. 16.30]
17.00 – Vatting and Bottling – To complete the whisky-making process it must be vatted and bottled. Michal Besser manages these final stages of production and will give you the lowdown on how we vat each release and put the finishing touches to them on the bottling line.
[Followed by live Q&A with Michal – approx. 17.30]
18.00 – ‘Through the Ages’ Live Tasting – Tune in for a tasting of our New Make Spirit before following the journey of maturation with samples of 2006, 2011 and 2016 casks.
19.15 – ‘Experimental Casks’ Live Tasting – Join us as we taste some of our full maturation Cognac, STR, Calvados and Port casks.
Full details of the Live Tasting Packs are below but I am afraid they are no longer available to purchase. If you missed out then please join us regardless, grab a dram from your home selection and join the fun! We will be recording all the tastings for people to re-watch whenever you fancy.
12 Noon – ‘DNA Live Tasting – The Kilchoman core range with a twist! Before reducing batches of our signature peated single malts of Machir Bay and Sanaig to their regular bottling strength of 46%, we bottled them at their natural cask strength to appreciate the full power and character of our core range whisky. This pack also contains the latest edition of Loch Gorm and a preview of the yet to be released 100% Islay 11th Edition.
Machir Bay Cask Strength – 58.9% (20ml) – Our signature peated single malt is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in a high proportion of bourbon casks with a small sherry cask influence.
Sanaig Cask Strength – 58.9% (20ml) – Although also matured in both sherry and bourbon casks, Sanaig has a high proportion of oloroso influence, giving a vastly different character to the whisky.
Loch Gorm 2021 – 46% (20ml) – Released annually in limited editions, the Loch Gorm range is always matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks. The 2021 edition is a vatting of 24 oloroso sherry butts filled in 2011 and 2012.
100% Islay 11th Edition Preview – 56.5% (20ml) – Distilled from our 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 barley harvests, the 11th edition is matured for a minimum of 9 years in 26 bourbon barrels and 7 oloroso sherry butts. This sample is a cask strength preview of the upcoming release.
18.00 – ‘Through the Ages’ Live Tasting – Taking you through the 15 years of Kilchoman maturation. We will start with tasting our New Make Spirit before following the journey of maturation through 2006, 2011 and 2016 ex-bourbon barrels, fascinating to see how the casks have impacted on the spirit character and colour over the years.
New Make Spirit – 63.5% (20ml) – Spirit flowing straight from our stills is reduced to 63.5%abv before being filled into cask for maturation. Our spirit is clean, packed full of citrus fruit and malty notes with maritime smoke.
2016/645 ex-bourbon barrel – 59.7% (20ml) – Maturing since 2016, this whisky has taken on plenty of character from the barrel and a significant change from the new make spirit is evident on the nose and palate.
2011/203 ex-bourbon barrel – 53.2% (20ml) – 10 years maturation and this 2011 whisky has further impact from the barrel, the balance of the Kilchoman spirit and the cask influence really developing over time.
2006/04 ex-bourbon barrel – 53.7% (20ml) – Something special from our very limited 2006 stock, just the 14th cask ever to be filled at Kilchoman! One of the very oldest casks at the distillery, over 15 years of maturation has transformed this whisky since it was first filled as spirit.
19.15 – ‘Experimental Casks’ Live Tasting – Some of the different and unfamiliar casks maturing in our warehouse. Over the years we have released a number of limited edition experimental cask types, from last year’s Fino to the upcoming Madeira, we have always enjoyed trying something a bit different. These casks are all full maturation and not finishes, allowing the full impact of the different cask types to be felt on the whisky.
Calvados Cask 356/2018 – 62.1% (20ml) – This cask is selected from our first batch of full maturation Christian Drouin Calvados casks. These high quality casks bring lots of fresh apple fruitiness to the whisky, even after a short period of maturation.
Port Cask 480/2014 – 57.3% (20ml) – A Ruby Port cask at almost 7 years of age. Ruby Port casks similar to this have been used in limited releases we have done in the past however, this single cask has had a far longer maturation.
Cognac Cask 737/2016 – 58.4% (20ml) – The rare quality of Cognac Ferrand has added great depth to the Kilchoman spirit. This cask is one of the first test batch to be filled in 2016.
STR Cask 207/2018 – 61.5% (20ml) – This is an STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) Red Wine cask. This specific cask type is very uncommon but something that has worked very well with our spirit.
Spring is a particularly busy time on the farm. The ewes have been lambing and the cows have been calving which all takes a lot of time, care and attention from the farm team. As well as this, we’ve been preparing the ground for sowing this year’s barley crop which we hope will be completed today. It’s been a cold spring but the dry weather over the last few weeks has allowed us to get on with all the groundwork.
We are planting barley on 115 acres of ground this year and a few weeks ago the fields selected for growing were ploughed in preparation for sowing the seed. The two barley varieties we’ve chosen this year are Concerto and Sassy. This will be the second time we’ve grown the Sassy variety. We successfully harvested Sassy back in 2019. Concerto has been our mainstay variety for a number of years now because of it’s suitability for the Islay weather and growing conditions and most importantly, because of the good quality spirit that we can distil from it. However, we are still looking for a replacement for it as we’re approaching what is likely to be the end of an era for the variety Concerto. Seed varieties don’t last forever, they start to lose some of their characteristics and qualities and the seed merchants then find replacements.
As in previous years, we have sown the two varieties side by side in the ‘experimental field’ at the entrance to the distillery. It is always interesting to compare the two varieties throughout the growing and harvesting stages and then importantly through the production process as well.
This year we did some drainage work in ‘The Smiddy’ field immediately in front of the distillery to enable us to sow barley in this field for the first time. In previous years, the field was too wet and the soil would not have provided suitable growing conditions. After digging up various parts of the fields and repairing some of the traditional tile drainpipes, the field is now much drier. The ground in this field is quite firm so after ploughing we also went over the soil with discs to break up the furrows. This allows the power harrow to provide a better seed bed for the barley. We will keep you updated on how this develops as well as keeping you informed on how the barley crop is growing on the farm in the coming months. It is well known that farmers are never happy with the weather and for weeks we were saying we needed dry weather to get the groundwork done, now we are hoping for rain so the barley doesn’t get too dry as it starts to germinate!
This special edition, the second of our two Spring limited edition releases, is a combination of 33 casks, 9 only matured in Pedro Ximénez casks and 24 finished in PX casks for between 12 and 18 months. The 12,000 bottle release will be available from your local Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week.
Whilst we’ve released a number of Pedro Ximénez single casks over the years, this is the first time we’ve vatted multiple casks together for a global release. Anthony and Robin have spent many days in the warehouses tasting endless numbers of casks to find the perfect balance of character, constructing a whisky that showcases the rich sweet flavours of Pedro Ximénez sherry but also reflects the signature flavours of our 50ppm spirit.
“Pedro Ximénez casks aren’t always the easiest to work with. That was why we decided on a combination of full maturation and finishing, to balance the distinct PX influence with that of our spirit. I’m delighted with the result; big and bold but with a delightful poise and balance of flavour,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD
Having tasted numerous combinations, Anthony and Robin eventually settled on a vatting of roughly 2/3rds finished casks from 2013 and 1/3rd full maturation casks from 2015. The older casks have more layered depth of character compared to the big-hitting 2015 full maturation casks, combining the two produces the perfect balance of maritime smoke, citrus, berries and rich dark honey sweetness.
Anthony and Robin settled on a strength of 47.3% abv after tasting samples at various strengths. At 47.3% the whisky had more assertiveness and allowed for the natural citrus character of the Kilchoman spirit to shine through.
The PX Sherry Cask Matured is available from your regular Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week. Please get in touch if you have any questions about finding a bottle nearby. A limited number of bottles will also be released via our website shop on Wednesday the 5th of May at 2pm Islay time. Bottles for sale from our website are priced at £74.94 per bottle (£62.45 ex VAT), 70cl, 47.3% abv, limited to one bottle per person.
